The Clinton monument. MDCCCXLVIII

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THE

CLIITOI MOIUMENT.

M DCCC XL VIII.

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NEW YORK:

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PRINTED FOR THE ASSOCIATION,

1848,

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W I I, I, 1 A M VAN N O R 1) E N , P R I N T E R ,

NO. 311 WIM.IAM BTRKET.

THE

CLINTON MONUMENT.

The erection of monuments to the memory of the illus-
trious dead is sanctioned by the practice of all nations, in
every age of the world. The remotest antiquity, and our
own times ; the rudest barbarism, and the highest civiliza-
tion, have alike concurred in this homage to departed
worth.

The modes in which this universal usa^je has manifested
itself, have been as various as the different characters
and conditions of the people, among whom it has pre-
vailed ; and the character of the monuments erected has
served to mark the taste, as their erection has to indicate
the appreciation of merit, of the various nations, and suc-
cessive generations of men.

The great purposes of this universal practice, like the
motives which have induced it, are twofold — to commem-
orate high virtues and distinguished services ; and, in so
doing, to encourage their repetition. In this double as-
pect, of justice to the dead, and encouragement to the
living, consists the motive, and the high moral influence,
of the practice in question.

To preserve this favorable influence, and assure its
legitimate fruits, great wisdom, and a just discrimination
should be exercised in the practice itself, both in the se-
lection of the persons to whom it is applied, and of the
virtues and services it is intended to commemorate. The

4 THE CLINTON MONUMENT.

■'former 3t^oul4 be ofsuch universally conceded excellence,
'' and tlie* Matter of such acknowledged merit, as at once
to commend them to the public admiration and grati-
tude, and thereby justif}^ their monumental commemora-
tion.

Few men have lived in our own, or any other country,
whose character and services come more fully within the
scope and spirit of the above general remark, than those
of De Witt Clintox. Few men have impressed them-
selves more strongly upon the age in which they lived,
or have left behind them more enduring memorials of
public usefulness, than this distinguislied statesman and
public benefactor. The services of few men have been
so early and so clearly apparent in tlie advancement of
great public interests; or their fruits so widely diffused,
or so universally acknowledged. Justice, that often
comes late to public men and public services, has long
since reached the memory of Clinton. The asperities of
political or party feeling, from the effects of which few
public men are wholly exempt, and which often, for a
time, derange the even scales of justice, have, in regard
to Clinton, like the evanescent vapour, already passed
away ; while the recollection of his great public services
remains deeply engraved upon the public admiration and
gratitude. Time will serve onty to deepen these just
public sentiments.

While, therefore, the public services of Clinton will
ever form the best and most enduring basis of his fame,
there has long been, in the public mind, an increasing
opinion that some public monument to his memory was
due alike to his character and services, and to the public
sense entertained of them. This has, at lenirth, led to the
formation of an Association for the accomplishment of this
public object. Tliis Association and its undertaking have
received the sanction of the Legislature of the State, by
the granting to it of an act of incorporation, and naming

THE CLINTON MONUMENT. 5

tlierein a board of trustees for carrying ou:; its purposes.
That act is as follows :

" STATE OF NEW YORK.
" AN AOT TO INCORPORATE THE CLINTO.V MONUMENT ASSO-
CIATION. PASSED FEBRUARY IItH, 1S43.

" The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate
and Assembhj, do enact as folloics :

" Section 1. William C. Bouck, Luther Brntlish, Wil-
lard Parker, Herman C. Adams, Sam>uel B. RuG;gles
and William W. Campbell, of the cit}'^ of New York,
Eleazcr Lord, of the county of Rockland, Rensselaer
Bently, of the county of Rensselaer, Daniel Cady, of the
county of Fulton, WiUiam Parmelee, of the city of Alba-
ny, Alfred Conkling, of the county of Cayuga, Henry K.
Smith and Millard FiUmore, of the city of Buffalo, Daniel
Grouse, of the county of Madison, Malcom Snowden, of
the county of Westchester, and Oliver Phelps, of the
county of Ontario, and such other associates as shall sub-
scribe and pay at least one dollar for the purpose contern-
plnted in this act, shall be and are hereby constituted a
body corporate, by the name of The Clinton Monument
Association of the State of New York, to erect a monu-
ment to the memory of De Witt Clinton, late Governor
of this state, and as such shall have the powers, and be
subject to the conditions, so far as applicable, contained in
title three of chapter eighteen of part first of the Revised
Statutes.

" Sec. 2. The persons named in the first section of this
act, shall be the first trustees of the said Clinton Monu-
ment Association hereby created, and shall hold their
offices until and including the first day of January, one
thousand eight hundred and forty-nine, and until others
shall be chosen in their places. The said trustees may
be divided into classes, and may consist of such members,

6 THE CLINTON MONUMENT.

and be elected at such times and places, and in such
manner, as shall be provided by the By-laws of said asso-
ciation.

" Sec. 3. It shall be the duty of the trustees to meet
at the city hall, in the city of New York, or a majority of
them, within thirty days after the passage of this act, and
elect by ballot a president and vice-president, a treasurer
and secretary of the association, who shall hold their
offices respectively until the first day of January, one
thousaud eight hundred and forty-nine, and until others
shall be chosen in their places. Five of the trustees, at
a meeting duly notified, shall be a quorum for the trans-
action of business ; vacancies occasioned by death, resig-
nation or otherwise, of the trustees named in this act,
may be filled by the board.

" Sec. 4. The treasurer of the association shall give
security in such manner-as the tiustees shall determine,
for the faithful performance of his duties; the trustees
may appoint a general agent for the purpose of collecting
subscriptions and donations for the purpose of carrying
into effect the objects of this association ; said general
agent to have power to appoint other agents for the like
purposes, by the advice and consent of the president and
secretary of said association. All moneys which shall be
subscribed and collected for the purpose of erecting such
monument, shall be paid over to the treasurer, or depo-
sited in some bank in this state to his cr6<.lit, and certi-
ficates of deposites forwarded to him from time to time,
and as often as once in sixty days ; and as often as once
in three months a statement, verified by his oath or affir-
mation, shall be made by the treasurer to the board of
trustees through their president, of all the moneys which
have been received by him, and of all the persons from
whom, and the persons by whom the same were collect-
ed ; and also a statement, verifietl in like manner, of all
the moneys which shall have been paid over by him, speci-
fying to whom the same were paid, and for what purpose.

THE CLINTON MONUMENT. 7

He shall pay over no moneys but by the direction of the
trustees, on the written order of the general agent, coun-
tersigned by the secretary, and accompanied by vouch-
ers duly audited and certified. The book to be kept by
him shall be at all times open for the inspection of the
trustees, and of any and every subscriber and donor to
the funds of the Association.

" Sec. 5. It shall be the duty of the secretary to record
the acts and proceedings of the trustees, to keep a regis-
ter of the names of every subscriber and donor to the
funds of the association, the place of his residence, the
amount of his subscription, and the day on which the
same was paid over to the treasurer ; which register shall
be open to the inspection of the members of the Associa-
tion, and sfiall be published by the trustees in some pub-
lic newspaper, and in such manner as they shall deter-
mine.

" Sec. 6. The trustees shall commence the erection of
said monument as soon as practicable after the sum of
ten thousand dollars shall have been collected and
deposited in the treasurer's hands ; but no contract or
engagement shall be entered into by the trustees involv-
ing the expenditure of money, until ten thousand dollars
is collected and deposited as aforesaid ; nor shall any
contract at any time be made involving an expenditure of
money, beyond the amount actually deposited in the
treasurer's hands, without the personal liability of said
trustees.

" Sec. 7. The said monument shall be erected on such
site, in the state of New York, as the said trustees shall
think most suitable to carry out the objects intended bj--
this act, and by the erection of such monument.

" Sec. S. This act shall take eflfect immediately."

Under the foregoing legislative act, the Association it
incorporates was, at a meeting held at the City Hall, in
the city of New York, on the 8th day of March, 1848, duly

8 THE CLINTON MONUMENT.

organized, b\' the election of William C. Bouck, as Presi-
dent, Daniel Cady, as Vice-President, Samuel B. Rug-
gles, as Treasurer, and William W. Campbell, as Sec-
retary. The Association thus incorporated, and thus or-
ganized, assumed the responsibilities, and entered upon a
discharge of the duties of tlieir important trust.

To secure greater regularity in the transactions of the
Board of Trustees, and render more orderly its proceed-
ings, the Trustees, at a meeting held at the City Hall of
the cit}^ of New York, on the 19th of April, 1S48, adopted
a code of by-laws. On the 30th of May, 1S4S, the Trus-
tees met at the Capitol, in the city of Albany ; and, after
transacting other business, appointed a special Commit-
tee, consisting of Luther Bradish of New York, Millard
Fillmore of Buffiilo, and William Parmelee of Albany, "to
ascertain the probable expense of a suitable monument
to be erected to the memory of De Witt Clinton ; and the
form and material for such monument ; and whether the
relatives of the deceased would consent to the removal of
his remains to the place selected for such monument; and
where, and on what terms, suitable land could be obtained
for the erection of the same ; and to report thereon to the
next meeting."

The Special Committee, in performance of the duty thus
devolved upon them, addressed to Charles A. Clinton,
Esq., the following letter:

" New York, July 15th, 1848.

" Chaules a. Cltntox, Esq.

'• Dear Sir, — At the late session of the Legislature of
this State, an Association, consisting of William C. Bouck,
Luther Bradish, Willard Parker, Herman C. Adams,
Samuel B-Ruggles, William W. Campbell, Eleazer Lord,
Rensselaer Bentley, Daniel Cady, William Parmelee,
Alfred Conkling, Henry K. Smith, 3Iillard Fillmore,
Daniel Crouse, Malcom Snowden and Oliver Phelps, was
incorporated, with ample powers, for the purpose of erect-

THE CLINTON MONUMENT. 9

ing a monument to the memory of your distinguished
father, De Witt Clinton, late Governor of iliis State.
Uiider this Act, tlie Association it incorporated has been
duly organized, and the persohs above named constitut-
ed, by the Act itself, the lirst Trustees.

" At a regular meeting of the Trustees, held at the
Capitol in the city of Albany, on the 30th of May last,
the undersigned were appointed a committee ' to ascer-
tain the probable expense of a suitable monument to be
erected to the memory of De Witt Clinton ; and the form
and material for such monument; and whether the rela-
tives of the deceased would consent to the removal of the
remains to the place selected for such monument ; and
where, and on what terms, suitable land could be obtained
for the erection of the same ; and to report thereon to the
next meeting.'

" In performance of the duty thus devolved upon the
committee, the undersigned now take the liberty of [ad-
dressing you this communication, and beg you will have
the goodness to submit it to your family, and obtain and
transmit to us their and your own decision upon its sub-
ject, to the end that we may, in further discharge of our
duty, report the same to our constituents at their next
meeting, at the Capitol in the city of Albany, on the
second Tuesday (the 8th) of August next.

" As the decision of your family, upon the subject here-
in referred to them, may be, in some degree, influenced
by the character, the location, and the probable completion of
the proposed monument, the undersigned take occasion to
submit a few remarks upon these several points.

" As reirards the first two, the character and location of
the raonilment, these must necessarily depend, in a great
measure, upon the consent of your family to the removal
of the remains to the location of the monument ; for if the
monument is to cover or contain the remains, then it
should be sepulchral in its character, and its location some
public cemetery. If on the contiary, that consent be

10 THE CLINTON MONUMENT.

withheld, and the monument consequently is not to cover
or contain the remains, then it would seem that the monu-
ment should necessarily be cic'/c in its character, and its
location some public place or square, cither at the capital
or in some other prominent city of the State. But in
either case, it is the design of the Assoc;ation, that the
monument shall be worthy its subject, and becoming the
State.

"As regards the probable complctioii of the proposed
monument, the undersigned would simply remark, as has
been elsewhere observed, that the obhgation to erect such
a monument is becoming daily more strongly felt by the
people of this great commonwealth, as they more and more
experience the countless blessings, and increasing pros-
perity diffused throughout its ample borders, and which
flow as a legitimate consequence, and are gathered, in a
great degree, as the precious fruits, of the early and sa-
gacious forecast, the practical wisdom, and indomitable
energy of the eminently enlightened and patriotic states-
man to whose memory the monument is proposed to be
erected : and although these fruits of his wisdom and
public services will ever form a monument more fresh
and enduring than brass or marble, yet as a visible ex-
pression of the sense entertained by the public of that
wisdom, and of those services, a monument to his memory
such as is now* proposed, is universally felt to be as fitting
and proper, as its future erection is believed to be cer-
tain.

" Relying upon the strength and universal prevalence
of this public sentiment, the undersigned cannot doubt
that it will lead the people of this state, with alacrity, to
afford the Association all the co-operation and aid neces-
sary for the early and full accomplishment of their object ;
and that that object therefore will have its consummation so
soon as maybe consistent with the nature and magnitude
of the work itself. To this end, by the acceptance of the
act of incorporation, and the organization under it, the

THE CLINTON MONUMENT. H

good faith and character of the Ass6cialion stand pledged
to the public, and will, wc trust, be faithfully redeemed.
*'With sentiments of great personal respect and es-
teem, we remain, dear sir,

Your obd't servl's,

L. B RADISH, )

W.^r. PAKMKI.EE, } Committee:'

MILLARD FILLMORE, )

The Committee also, by advertisement published in
several newspapers in various parts of the State, invited
offers of sites, and designs for the proposed monument,
the latter to be accompanied by specifications of dimen-
sions and material, and estimates of cost. Several offers
of sites and designs for the proposed monument were in
consequence received by the Committee, and all duly re-
ported to the next meeting of the Board of Trustees, held
at the Capitol, in the city of Albany, on the Sth of Au-
gust, 1S4S.

At that meeting, among other business transacted, the
Special Committee, appointed on the 30th of May preced-
ing, was continued ; and was directed to present to the
Board, at its next meeting, "A report setting forth the
considerations, which occurred to them, in favor of the
erection of a civic, and those also in favor of a sepulchral
monument; and such suggestions relating to the selection
of a site appropriate to the respective styles of monu-
ment, and such information relating to particular loca-
tions, a^ should appear to them of importance."

On the 20th of October, 1S48, the Committee received
from Charles A. Clinton, Esquire, in answer to the let-
ter addsessed to him by the committee on the l-5th of
July, 1S4S, the following letter :

" New York, October 19, 1S4S.
" Gentlemen : On my return to the city a few days
since, after an absence of some months, I had the honor

12 THE CLINTON MONUMENT.

to receive j^our letter dated July 15, 1S48, and take the
earliest opportunity of acknowledging it.

It is hardly necessary for me to say how grateful to my
feelings are your intentions in reference to the memory of
my father ; and how sensibly I am touched by the kind
and friendly terms in which you have communicated
them to me.

It might be indelicate in me to refer to the essential
services rendered to our State by my father, or to the
great personal sacrifices that he made to the pubhc inter-
ests. This is matter of history, and if his fellow citizens
respect and honor his memory, it is the highest proof of
his merit: and whatever posthumous honors they may
pay to his name will be regarded, by all, as the impartial
judgment of posterity, after so many years have elapsed
since his death.

In reference to the removal of his remains, it is my
duty to say that it would not be agreeable to the feelings
of his family ; and although we appreciate the kind and
generous intentions of your Association, it would be most
painful to us to consent to a change of his present resting

place.

Allow me to express my sincere regret that I did not
receive your communication at an earlier day, and that
my answer to it has been unavoidably postponed to the
present time.

With great respect and esteem,

I am, gentlemen, your sincere friend,

and obedient servant,

C. A. CLINTON."
Hon. L. B RADISH, Hon. Millard Fillmore, and Hon.
William Parmelee, Committee.

On the 26th of October, 1S4S, the Committee received,
from James Renwick, junior, Esq., of New York, three de-
sio-ns for the proposed monument, accompanied by speci-
fications of dimensions and material, and estimates of

THE CLINTON MONUMENT. 13

cost. Of these three designs one was an obehsk and
colossal statue, one a single, nnd one a triple triumphal
arch. All these were duly reported to the Board of Trus-
tees at its next meeting, which was held at the City Hall
of the city of New York, on the 27th of October, 184S.

At that meeting the Special Committee, appointed in
Mav, and continued in August preceding, submitted to
the Board the following report :

"The Special Committee, appointed in May last, in
relation to the character, and location of the monument
proposed to be erected to the memory of De Witt Clin-
ton, was continued by resolution of the Board, at its
meeting in August. By the terms of the resolution con-
tinuing the committee, they were directed to present to
the Board at its next meeting, ' A report setting forth the
considerations which occurred to them, in favor of the
erection of a civic., and those also in favor of a sejmlchral
monument ; and such suggestions relating to the selec-
tion of a site appropriate to the respective styles of monu-
ment, and such information relating to particular loca-
tions, as should appear to them of importance.'

" The Committee, in the exercise of their continued
powers, and in performance of the new duties thus de-
volved upon them, now respectfully submit to the Board,

the following

REPORT:

" On the SOth'of October instant, the Committee received
from Charles A. Clinton, Esquire, an answer to the com-
munication which, by direction of the Board, they ad-
dressed to that gentleman, on the 15th ot July last, inquir-
ing the pleasure of the family of the deceased, as to the
removal of his remains from their present resting place,
to the location of the monument, proposed to be erected
to his memory.

14 THE CLINTON MONUMENT.

" Mr. Clinton's letter accompanies this report. B\' this
letter it will be perceived that the family of the deceased
do not yield their consent to the removal of his remains
from their present resting place in Greenwood Cemete^^^
Although notice of this decision of the family of the de-
ceased was not received by the Committee until after
their report had been prepared, yet in the judgment of
the committee, this decision does not, in any respect,
change the views or the conclusions presented in the re-
port: on the contrary, it furnishes an additional argument
in their favor, and a new reason for their adoption : In-
deed, independent of other sufficient considerations, it
would seem, to the Committee, to be conclusive as to the
character, and, of course, the location too, of the monument
in question.

"The Committee have not received anv further offers of
sites, or plans and estimates of cost for the proposed monu-
ment, in addition to those already reported to the Board at
its meeting in August last; except three designs, with
specifications of dimensions and material, and estimates of
cost, presented by James Renwick, Jun., Esq., qf New
York. These designs, with their accompanying specifica-
tions and estimates, arc submitted to the BoJird, with
this report.

"In regard to the other matters referred to theCommit-
mittee, as they involve mainly questions of individual
taste, and the expression oPindividual opinion, upon facts
as fully before the Board generally, as they are within
the knowledge of the Committee, the Committee would
perhaps act most discreetly by abstaining from any pre-
liminary expression of their own opinions, simply refer-
ring themselves to the decision of the Board upon all
these points. But inasmuch 'as the Board has referred
these matters to the Committee, and made it their duty
to present a report thereon at its present meeting, the
Committee will proceed to discharge this dut}'' in such
manner as the little opportunity afforded them for con-

THE CLINTON MONUMENT. 15

sultation, research, or consideration upon these several
interesting subjects, may have enabled them to do.'

The views of the Committee, in regard to tlie character
and location of tlie proposed monument, have been already
partially expressed in their communication above referred
to of July 15th, 1S4S, addressed, by direction of the
Board, to Charles A. Clinton, Esq., and reported to the
Board at its meeting in August last. To those views, the
■Committee still adhere ; and they, therefore, beg leave to
refer to them, so far as they go, for their present opinions
upon the subject.

The Committee suppose the object of the contemplated
monument to be to commemorate the public services,
rather than the private virtues, of the distinguished de-
ceased, to whose memory it is proposed to be erected :
It is to De Witt Clinton as a public man, a statesman, and
a public benefactor ; and not to him as an in dividual,
however distinguished as such, that this monument is to
be erected : and even in this, such a monument is demand-
ed not so much to perpetuate the public services of Clin-
ton, as to present to the world a visible manifestation of
the public sense entertained of them.

Those services require no such monument to perpetuate
their memory. They, with their widely diffused, and
now universally acknowledged fruits, will continue to live,
in more than their original freshness, long after the monu-
ment, erected to their memory, shall have crumbled into
dust, and its fragments have become mingled and lost
among the ruins of the forgotten past. Indeed, the pro-
gress of time, that witnesses the perishable nature, and
gradual delapidations of the monument, will furnish new
proofs of their value, and stamp an imperishable charac-
ter of immortality upon the services, that monument would
commemorate.

If such then be the object of the proposed monument,

if it is to the public services of the statesman, rather than
to the private virtues of the individual, that the monument

16 THE CLINTON MONUMENT.

is to be erected, this would seem to indicate that its clta-
racter should be civic, rather than sepulchral ; and its loca-
tion some public place, and not a cemetery.

It is true that, among the ancients, the sepulchral form
was sometimes, although rarely, given to civic monu-
ments ; and the mausoleum served at once to cover or
enclose the remains, and to commemorate the services, of
the illustrious and honored dead. Such were the tombs
of the Persian kings at Persepolis, those of the Phara-
ohs at Thebes, the Pyramids of Egypt, the monument
erected by Artemisia to the memory of her royal hus-
band, Mausolus, and which became the generic name
for others of corresponding magnificence : Such, too,
were the tombs of Augustus, of the Scipios, of Caius
Cestus, and that of Adrian, now the castle of St. An-
gelo, at Rome, with many others. But these, generally,
were erected by the individuals, or the families, whose
names they respectively commemorate ; and were the
visible manifestations of personal vanity, or of individual
ambition, rather than the free offerings, and voluntary
monuments of a nation's admiration and gratitude.

Amonii the more modern civic monuments, few are
sepulchral, either in their character or location. They
are generally, in their style, artistic or architectural ;
and, in tlieir location, they occupy some public place.
Such arc the columns of Trajan and Antoninus at Rome ;
the arch of the Simplon, or arc de la Paix, at Milan ; and
that de I'Etoile at Paris. Such, too, is the magnificent
monument to Peter the Great, of Russi;i, in the principal
square at St. Petersburgh : Such, also, is the Nelson
monument in London; the column of Austeilitz in Paris ;
the monument to Borromeo at Arena, in Italy ; that to
Joan of Arc, at Orleans, in France ; and that to Brock,
in Canada. Such, too, is our own noble monument of
Bunker's Hill ; and those to Washington, in Baltimore
and Washington city.

It is true that some of these monuments commemorate

THE CLINTON MONUMENT. 17

events, as well n.^ persons; but then ilic chief Interest in
those events, and of course the leading motive for their
commemoration, consists in the high virtues they exhibit;
the patriotic acts and useful services that characterise
them ; and the great benefits which flow from llu-iii to
the public. The monuments, therefore, which are erect-
ed to commemorate those events, serve at once to per-
joetuate the memory of interesting and important facts,
and of the persons, identified with them. The very ob-
ject of these monuments then, would seem to decide their
character to be civic; and to require that such should be
their form. That object, with equal clearness and force,
indicates, as the appropriate location of such monuments,
some public place, and not a cemetery.

The cemetery is at once a fitting place for the repose
of the dead, and an appropriate location for the sepul-
chral monument to their memory. Here the warmest
affections of surviving kindred and friendship gather;
and, in the monuments they build to the cherished mem-
oiy of the departed, they seek to commemorate their pri-
vate virtues, personal qualities, and individual character.
For this, the tranquil retirement, solemn air, and fitting
accessaries of the cemetery are most appropriate, and
most in harmony with individual feeling, and with sur-
viving and wounded affection.

But such is not the office, nor such the appropriate
location, of monuments intended to commemorate the
public services of public men. Such monuments are the
visible manifestations, not of private friendship for the
individual, but of public admiration and gratitude for
popular talents and public services. They seek to em-
blazon the services they commemorate, not only as a pub-
lic expression of the sense entertained of them, but as a
motive and encouragement to their repetition. They seek
not, therefore, the tranquil retirement and hallowed still-
ness of the cemeterj'', but the public place, the thronged
city, and the busy haunts of men. If this be so, it should
3

18 THE CLINTON MONUMENT.

determine at once l^oth the character and the location of
the monument now in question.

Should the Board concur with the Committee in the
views above expressed, the field of our present inquiry-
will be thereby much narrowed. Excluding then, for
the present, the public cemeteries, in which sites for the
proposed monument have been most liberally offered,
the selection of a location for the monument will, of
course, be limited to the other places proposed. These
are, Alb'any, Little Falls, Utica, Syracuse, Rochester,
^Lockport, and Buffalo, embracing the whole line of the
Erie Canal, with its two termini. Each of these points
has its peculiar advantages, and presents its claim to a
fair consideration. The Committee, therefore, without
croinfr into minute detail, will notice, in a general and
cursory manner, these several sites proposed, with the
considerations, which immediately suggest themselves,
in favor of each.

Albany is one of the termini of the Erie Canal ; is the
capital of the State ; was the residence of the deceased
at the time of his death, and the principal scene of those
public labors, which have illustrated his name, and so
greatly benefitted the state. It is here, too, that the people's
representatives come up annually to counsel and legislate
for the welfare of the commonwealth ; and, as they view
this monumental expression of public admiration and
gratitude, might catch from the example this monument
would commemorate, a noble inspiration in the people's
service, and in an honorable career of public usefulness.
Albany, too, is a place of frequent passage and concen-
trated travel. A monument here, therefore, w^ould meet
the observation of the numerous persons, citizens and
stranfrers, who traverse our state in pursuit of either
business or pleasure. For the purposes of such a monu-
ment, Albany, by her public authorities, has most liberally
placed at the disposal of the Association, without reserve,

THE CLINTON MONUMENT. 19

n.ny selection for a site that may be made from her pub-
lic grounds.

Proceeding westward, the next place proposed is
X,ittle Falls. Around this spot many considerations of
great interest cluster. This is the birth place of internal
improvements by canal, in our state. Here one of the
first experiments in this great public interest was made.
Here, too, our great work, the Erie Canal, Which occu-
pied so largely the mind, and was so efl5ciently promoted
by the sagacity, wisdom and energy of Clinton, encoun-
tered, and triumphantly overcame, one of its most formi-
dable physical obstacles. Its unique and picturesque
natural scenery would put in advantageous relief the con-
templated work of art ; while its mountain granite rock,
of two hundred and fifty feet in height, would ibrm a
noble base for a noble monument.

Utica next claims our regard. From her position in the
great central county of the state ; and her being, in con-
sequence, a radiant point of many important lines of
internal communication, by canal, rail-road, and ordinary
highway, she presents strong claims to consideration.

Syracuse, although no site for the proposed monument
has been pubhcly offered by her, yet her position, and the
peculiar and abounding elements of her future growth
and prosperity, entitle her to notice, and render her an
eligible site for a public monument.

Rochester has taken an early and deep interest in this
undertaking; and has been most liberal in her action and
offers in regard to it. Independent of the ground in her
beautiful cemetery of " Moimt Hojie,^^ which she has placed
at the disposal of the Association, Rochester, from her
position, her relation to our internal improvements, and
lake navigation, as well as from the intelligence, enter-
prise and public spirit of her citizens, presents an eligible
sitp for the proposed monument, well deserving the con-
sideration of the Board.

The mountain ridge at LocJq^ort, like the Little Falls^

20 THE CLINTON MONUMENT.

presents another of those formidable natural obstacles,
which our great work, the Erie Canal, had to encounter,
and which nothing but untiring eeal, and indomitable
energy enabled it to overcome. The rocky summit of
this mountain ridge, the scene of that noble triumph,
presents a fitting and appropriate site for a monument to
the memory of Clinton.

Buffalo brings us to the other terminus of the Erie Ca-
nal. This queen city of the west not only stands at the
head of this great work ; but, from this proud position, she
looks out upon that broad expanse of inland seas, which
connect her with the boundless and fertile west. It is
here, to this converging point, that commerce, upon her
hundred radiant lines, brings the rich productions of that
vast and fruitful region, and pours them upon the bosom
of our artificial inland navigation, to be borne to their
destined market. Buffalo has not only seen the achieve-
ment of this great work, but, more than at almost any
other point, she daily, nay hourly, witnesses the impor-
tant uses it subserves, and the immense objects of public
good it accomplishes. Where else, then, more adequately
than here, can the value of this great work be estimated;
or the merit so duly appreciated of him, who, if he were
not its original projector, was at any rate, its most efficient
promoter and steadfast friend. Where then, in these
respects, so suitable and proper a site for a fitting monu-
ment to the memory of that distinguished statesman and
public benefactor? If this beautiful, enterprising and
rapidly growing city, thus situated, be not unequalled as
a site for such a monument, she yields only to the other
terminus of the Canal, the capital of the state.

Your committee have thus noticed rapidly in succes-
sion, the several places, which have been proposed as a
site for the contemplated monument. They have pre-
sented, in a very general and cursory manner, the pecu-
liar advantages of each, and have endeavored to do justice
to all, leaving it to the Board to make such selection as

THE CLINTON MONUMENT. 21

in its judgment, shall be most in harmony with the char-
acter and object, and shall most lully accomplish the
great purposes of the proposed monument.

If the Board should not concur with the Committee in
their views, above expressed, as to the proper chardcter, or
appropriate location oi i\\e proposed monument, but should
be of opinion that, whether civic or sepulchral in its style,
a public cemetery would be its appropriate location, it may
be proper, and perhaps expected, that the Committee
should notice the several sites which have been offered in
such cemeteries. These have been in the Mount Hope
Cemetery at Rochester, the Rural Cemetery at Albany,
and the Rockland Cemetery at Piermont.

The former of these, the Mount Hope Cemetery at Ro-
chester, presents ground not only favorable in itself, but
is situated near the junction of the Genessee Valley and
Erie canals ; commands an extensive view along the
lines of both, as well as upon Lake Ontario.

The Rural Cemetery at Albany also presents a site ex-
ceedingly favorable in itself, and advantageous in its po-
sition. It commands an extensive view of the Erie canal,
and overlooks its eastern termination. It is at the capital
of the State, and would be in the view of many citizens
and travellers.

The Rockland Cemetery presents a site in itself almost
unsurpassed in beauty, and in the extent and richness of
the view it commands. That view embraces the distant
ocean, the intermediate waters, and surrounding country
to a fjreat extent. It is the crownins: summit of a conical
hill rising from the western bank of the Hudson river,
near seven hundred feet. It commands an extensive
view of the river, looks down upon the increasing com-
merce and travel which float upon its bosom, and which
are, in a great degree, drawn to it through our various
works of internal communication. It was originally
within the native county of Chnton ; and is situated at
the eastern termination of that great work of internal im-

22 THE CLINTON MONUMENT.

provement, the New York and Erie Rail Road. It
abounds in an excellent building material of stone, which
together with the site, the Cemetery Company most hber-
ally offer gratuitously to the Monument Association. It
is also due, in justice and truth, to this Cemetery Com-
pany to state, that they were the first, and have continued
to be among the principal, to move actively in the present
enterprise of erecting a monument to the memory of
Clinton. All these circumstances entitle this site to the
favorable consideration of the Board.

The Committee have not prepared, and, therefore do
not now present to the Board, with this report, an esti-
mate of the relative cost of the proposed monument upon
the several sites thus offered to the Association ; because,
wherever the material of construction is not found at or
near the sites proposed, our works of inter-communication
will afford such facilities for transporting that material to
the site, which shall be finally selected, as will render
all nearly equal in this respect ; and thus the labors of
Clinton, while they form a solid and enduring basis of his
fame, will contribute their aid in the erection of the pro-
posed monument to his memor3\

All of which is respectfully submitted.

L. BRADISH, )

MILLARD FILLMORE, } Committee.
WILLIAM PARMELEE, )

October 27, 1S4S.

The foregoing report was accepted by the Board, and
the following resolutions thereupon adopted :

Resolved, That, in the opinion of this Board, tlie monu-
ment proposed to be erected to the memoiy of De Witt
Clinton ought, in its style and character, to be civic, rather
than sepulchral.

Resolved, That, in ihc o])ini(in of this Board, the loca-
tion of the monument proposed to be erected to the mem-

L.cfC.

THE CLINTON MONUMENT. 23

ory of De Witt Clinton, ought to be in some public place
and not in a cemetery.

Resolved, That in the opinion of this Board, the city of
Albany, the capital of the State, presents the most eli-
gible site for the monument proposed to be erected to the
memory of De Witt Clinton ; and therefore, that it be se-
lected for that purpose.

Resolved, That the monument proposed to be erected
to the memory of De Witt Clinton, be a single, or triple
triumphal arch, and be located at the head of • State
street, in the city of Albany, and within the Capitol park,
provided the assent of the Legislature be first obtained ;
the precise plan and dimensions of the monument to be
settled by a committee to be designated by the Board.

Governor Bouck, Mr. Bradish, Judge Conkllng, INIr.
Ruggles, and Judge Parmelee, were thereupon constituted
such committee.

This committee was authorised to apply to the Legis-
lature for permission to locate the proposed monument
upon the public grounds, within the Capitol park.

Marcus T. Reynolds, Esq., of Alban}^, was unani-
mousl}^ appointed, by the Board, as the general agent of
the Association; and it was felt to be a subject of just
congratulation to the Board and the Public, that in an
office so important and so essential to the success of the
enterprise, the Association were to have the benefit of the
advice and services of one whose position, character, and
known capacity, render him in every respect, so pecu-
liarly qualified for an able and successful discharge of the
duties of this important and responsible office.

All moneys of the Association were directed to be de-
posited in the New York State Bank at Albany, to the
credit of the Treasurer. It was also resolved that no
contract should, at any time be made, involving the ex-
penditure of money, beyond the amount then actually in
the treasury.

Mr. Campbell having tendered his resignation as Sec-

24 THE CLINTON MONUMENT.

retary of the Association, it was accepted, and Judge
Parmelee of Albany, was duly elected Secretary to fill
the vacancy.

The Board then, after directing this publication, ad-
journed to the stated meeting at the capitol in the city of
Albany, in February next.

The foregoing brief statement presents the motive and
object of the formation of " The Clinton Monument As-
sociation," its act of incorporation, its organization under
that act, and its proceedings down to the present time.

The members of this Association being themselves
fully persuaded of the merit of the undertaking in which
they are thus engaged, they cannot doubt that its object
will commend itself to the cordial approbation of the
citizens generally of the state ; and lead to all the co-
operation and aid, on the part of the public, necessary
to its early and complete accomplishment. They can-
not, for a moment, permit themselves to doubt that a
just appreciation of the Public services of Clinton, an
ever present and increasing enjoyment of the incalculable
good those services have procured for the citizens of this
great Commonwealth, as well as a proper regard for its
own character, will induce the Public to come forward,
and with alacrity contribute its effectual aid in the erec-
tion of a monument to the memory of this distinguished
public benefactor, which shall be at once worthy its sub-
ject, and creditable to the State— just to the dead, and
honorable to the living.

To that just and generous Public, therefore, the Clinton
Monument Association earnestly and confidently appeals.

APPENDIX.

The Committee, invested by the Board of Trustees
with the power of determining the form, dimensions,
materials, and other details of the arch, adopted for the
monument to be erected to the memoiy of De Witt Clin-
ton, having selected the single Triumphal Arch, designed
by James Renwick, Jr., Esq., of New York, they are now
enabled to present, together with a lithographic print of
the arch selected, specifications of the dimensions and
material, and estimates of cost, of the proposed monu-
ment. These are as follows :

SPECIFICATIONS AND ESTIMATES.

" The plan of the Chnton Monument adopted by the
Association, consists of a single Triumphal Arch sur-
mounted by a colossal statue of De Witt Clinton. The
Triumphal Arch is peculiarly fitted for a civic monument ;
for which purpose it was employed by the ancients in
preference to almost any other form.

" These arches were generally placed by them across
the streets of their great cities, or at the entrance of their
Fora, or other public places. On their exteriors were
sculptured the principal actions of the great men whom
they were intended to commemorate.
4

26 THE CLINTON MONUMENT.

" The plan adopted by the Association cqjisists of a
single Arch, rising from a flight of steps : the steps to be
of granite, or the grey limestone of the Mohawk valley,
which was used in the locks and aqueducts of the grand
canal. The latter material is to be preferred. The
whole of the remainder of the monument to be of pure
white marble, cut in the most perfect manner.

" The two principal fronts to be finished as follows :
The shafts of the columns to be composed from the stalks,
and the capitals from the ears, of the Indian corn. The
arches to be richly moulded and ornamented with cables,
beaks heads, and other appropriate ornaments, harmon-
izing with the style adopted. In the spandrils over the
arches there are to be four figures of Fame, bearing
trumpets and wreaths; and over these a richly moulded
corbel course.

" The two sides of the structure are to be as follows :
Two smaller arches are to rise to the height of the spring
line of the great arches of the fronts ; over these arches,
and between them and the corbel course, there are to
be four niches on each face, deeply sunk, in which it is
proposed to place tablets, having inscribed upon them the
names of the principal cities, lakes, and rivers, which
border on, or intersect the canal.

" The cornice, which is to extend around the whole
structure, is to be cut with a rich frieze, on which various
prominent parts of the canal are to be cut in basso-rehevo,
with canal boats, horses, &c. in alto relievo.

" On the front of the attic the name of De Witt Clin-
ton is to be inscribed ; and on the other three sides appro-
priate inscriptions are to be made. The four corners on
the top are to be decorated with trophies, composed from
the arms of the State, and of the cities of New York and
Albany. In the centre will rise a pyramidal flight of
steps, which is to be surmounted by a colossal statue of
Clinton.

" In the attic there will be a room, lighted Horn the top

THE CLINTON MONUMENT. 27

or sides, which may be appropriated lo the preservation
of models of structures on those public works most con-
nected with the labors of Clinton.

•* The estimated expense of this monument is 847,000,
if constructed of the dimensions following :

" Steps 56 feet long, 46 feet broad, and 6 feet high :
Monument 33 feet long, 24 feet wide, 55 feet high to the
top of the cornice, and 72 feet high to the top of the
figure.

" The monument will cost $70,000, if constructed of
the dimensions following : Steps 63 feet long, 53 feet
broad, and 7 feet high ; Monument 40 feet long, 30 feet
wide, 70 feet high to the top of the cornice, and 90 feet
to the top of the figure.

" The cost of the Monument will be $93,000, if it be
of the dimensions following: Steps SO feet long, 66 feet
broad, and 8 feet in height. Monument 48 feet long, 34
feet wide, 78 feet high to the top of the cornice, and 102
feet to the top of the figure.

JAMES RENWICK, Jr.,

Architect-

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